Schedule shakeup: Vols 2014 football schedule brings big changes

(WBIR-UT) We're a little more than a week away from football season, but before it's begun, we're already talking about the following season.

The University of Tennessee announced its 2014 football schedule Wednesday. With it comes big changes to the traditional line-up.

"Actually, I kind of like it," said UT freshman Nicklaus Henry.

The Vols are scheduled to host seven games at Neyland Stadium in the 2014 season, according to a university release. For the first time since 2001, Florida will not be the first conference game on Tennessee's schedule. Instead, Tennessee will open league play at Georgia on Sept. 21 - this is the first time the Bulldogs have served as UT's SEC opener since 1995.

UT won't play the Gators until Oct. 4, which is the the latest match-up between Florida and Tennessee since Dec. 1, 2001 at Florida.

"It's just changing up the tradition a little," said UT junior, Kenneth Brown-Wilson.

Additionally, Tennessee will end its regular season with an opponent other than Kentucky for the first time since Florida in 2001. The Vols will travel to Nashville to play Vanderbilt on Nov. 29.

"As long as we beat Kentucky, I don't care when we play them," said UT student, Kendall Peters.

The Vols will also open with their first-ever match up against Utah State at Neyland Stadium on Aug. 30. Tennessee's next home game will be against Arkansas State on Sept. 6.

UT's first road game of the season will be on Sept. 13 at Oklahoma, marking the first-ever game for the Vols in the Sooner State.